Health Secretary Matt Hancock says he did not watch all of Dominic Cummings’ testimony to MPs today because he was dealing with the vaccination rollout and “saving lives”.
Mr Hancock came in for repeated attacks by the prime minister’s former adviser during a seven-hour-long committee hearing.
Analysis: Hancock fighting for his political life after brutal demolition job
Mr Cummings told how he believed the health secretary should have been sacked repeatedly, for “at least 15-20 things including lying to everybody on multiple occasions in meeting after meeting in the Cabinet room and publicly”.
He accused Mr Hancock of failing to protect people in care homes after saying he had a plan.
And Mr Cummings went on to say: “I certainly think Matt Hancock used Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance as shields for himself.”
During his evidence, he said he had told the prime minister: “If we don’t fire the secretary of state… we are going to kill people and it’s going to be a catastrophe.”
Earlier this evening a spokesperson for Mr Hancock said he “has worked incredibly hard in unprecedented circumstances to protect the NHS and save lives”.
The spokesperson added: “We absolutely reject Mr Cummings’ claims about the health secretary.”